


Failure Is Not An Option (Unless You Have Strong Allies)

by alphera



Series: Holmes Family Values [1]
Category: James Bond (Movies), Sherlock (TV), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-11
Updated: 2012-11-11
Packaged: 2017-11-18 10:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/560018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphera/pseuds/alphera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Q is determined to be one of those great names, even if technically he does have family. That is, of course, if his eldest brother ever lets him live down letting an ex-agent-turned-international-terrorist hack into the MI6 systems in such dangerous ways. Twice. In a week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Failure Is Not An Option (Unless You Have Strong Allies)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rougewinter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rougewinter/gifts).



> Also known as: _When Your Biggest Brother is Being A Meanie (Turn Your Doe Eyes On The Second)_  
>  Written for [rougewinter](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rougewinter), who requested Q Holmes fic, for prodding me until I wrote it, and of course, for editing.

There is this saying in the upper echelons of MI6 – orphans make the best recruits. Most of them do, after all, have this desperate need to belong, and it doesn’t really hurt that M – Mum – practically projects the stereotypical Proper English Mum image. And yes, it’s true that practically all the great names in the Service _are_ orphans… but that doesn’t mean that _all_ of them are.  
  
Q is determined to be one of those great names, even if technically he does have family. That is, of course, if his eldest brother ever lets him live down letting an ex-agent-turned-international-terrorist hack into the MI6 systems in such dangerous ways. Twice. In a week.  
  
The odds of Mycroft ever letting it go is close to zero. So he does what any desperate baby brother does when cornered by the responsible older brother. He looks for an ally.  
  
Which is why he’s now sitting in Sherlock’s kitchen, drinking Earl Grey and waiting for his more… energetic brother to come home.  
  
Of course, it’s just his luck that John Watson gets home first. He’s assaulted and pinned to the ground in less than a minute.  
  
“Who are you?” the surprisingly short man asks, voice cold and authoritative. Q approves. Sherlock needs this sort of person – quiet, competent, responsible.  
  
“Sherlock’s younger brother. I would appreciate it if you’d let me up, Dr. Watson. I am not quite as physically active as my brother, and I assure you, this is hurting me a great deal.” Watson’s arms tighten around his neck suspiciously, and while Q appreciates the level of paranoia in a third person point of view, he would really rather not have it directed at him.  
  
“Mrs. Hudson knows who I am.” Q chokes out.  
  
From there, it doesn’t take long to straighten things out. Unfortunately, Sherlock is out doing research. Which means he’ll be waiting from anywhere between a minute to a month.  
  
It really is shaping up to be one of _those_ kinds of days, isn’t it?  
  
Q sighs, and settles in for a long wait.  
  
\-----  
  
Q isn’t technically an orphan now, but it doesn’t mean it’s always been that way. He was abandoned on the streets as a baby, and grew up jumping from one foster family to another. There was just something about his brand of genius that adults found alarming – Sherlock calls that brand being idiotic and unimaginative.  
  
But there he was, wee years old and already in his fifth foster home, when a random pre-teen sits beside him in the library and actually talks to him after a few minutes of reading in silence.  
  
“Bit advanced for your age, aren’t you?”  
  
Q blinks. “I quite think it’s not a matter of me being advanced, but others slow.”  
  
The older boy looks up for a moment, lips twitching. “Quite right,” he answers, before going back to his book.  
  
It was the start, as they say, of a beautiful friendship. One founded on science, intelligence, and a mutual disdain for the idiocy of the world.  
  
Q can’t say he’s surprised when the next home he’s shuffled to is his library companion’s. What surprises him, actually, is that he realises he doesn’t even know the other boy’s name.  
  
“Sherlock Holmes.” The boy says, as soon as Q opens his mouth to ask. “Welcome to the family.”  
  
And what a family it is.  
  
Q fits in to life in the Holmes manor seamlessly. There is an indescribable comfort in being part of a family that actually understands and encourages genius. He feels a sense of belonging there that very few people ever experience in their lifetimes, much less lost orphans abandoned at birth. But he’ll always have that special bond with Sherlock, his very first friend.  
  
Which is why Q basically loses direction in Sherlock’s wild years, and practically wakes up one day already deeply entrenched in the Q division of MI6 and finding that he actually loves it there.  
  
Of course, it’s not the same as back when all of them still lived at home – but even if it takes him years to shake off the edge of clinginess, he realises it’s inevitable for them to grow up and live apart and see each other through spying and hacking more often than face to face. But it doesn’t mean they love each other any less.  
  
\-----  
  
By the mercy of the heavens, Sherlock sends Q a text within the hour.  
  
 _’Heard about the Silva incident. Unfortunate. –SH’_  
  
 _’Indeed.’_ Q types. _’I shall never live it down. –QH'_  
  
 _’Pish. A little excitement never did Mycroft any harm. ETA 221B 5mins. –SH’_  
  
When Sherlock comes in and Mycroft follows soon after, the inevitable verbal battle starts. Q sits on the couch with John Watson, watching and tallying points.  
  
\-----  
  
John Watson can’t help but notice that The Great Holmes Argument: Take God-Knows-How-Many is a lot more... benign than usual. Mycroft seems almost relaxed, and Sherlock hasn’t given out more than a handful of low blows in the five minutes since they started tearing into each other. In fact, the jabs they throw at each other seem almost playful. He turns to ask the recently-revealed-youngest-brother if it’s just his imagination, and catches sight of the faint smile on Quillan’s face.  
  
John blinks, and a slow smile spreads on his face. He quite likes Quillan. It appears the lad’s an excellent influence.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry [rougewinter](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rougewinter), I know you wanted Merlin in here too TT__TT I just couldn't squeeze it in properly. One day I will write you a segment with Merlin. One daaaay.
> 
> Meanwhile, have an additional sentence, LOL:
> 
>  
> 
> _When Sherlock comes in and Mycroft follows soon after, the inevitable verbal battle starts. Q sits in the couch with John Watson, watching and tallying points._
> 
>  
> 
> _(So far, the scores are even. But Q isn't bothered. If Sherlock loses this round, he's still got the family white sheep to call to his aid. Provided Merlin isn't too busy angsting over his starcrossed-lovestory-that's-survived-possibly-a-million-reincarnations to help.)_


End file.
